Maybe Bryson DeChambeau was nervous? Maybe Steph Curry just knows Lake Merced that well? Maybe Bryson was just struggling with his wedge game?
Or maybe Curry is just that good.
DeChambeau has released the latest video in his Breaking 50 YouTube series, with NBA star Steph Curry as his guest, playing at Lake Merced in San Francisco in the days leading up to the Ryder Cup. The conceit is well known by now: DeChambeau and guest play a scramble from the up tees at a given course and see if they can somehow shoot 49 or better. The only time he’s succeeded in doing so was with a pair of fellow content creators. To do so with Curry would set a new standard …
And that’s exactly what they did. But it was how they did so that stood out.
Curry drive from 320 yards — to four feet.
Curry 5-wood from 243 yards — straight as train smoke, LONG of the green.
Curry full 60-degree wedge from 104 yards — eight feet.
“He might beat me today,” DeChambeau said. And as much as he was joking, he wasn’t wrong.
Curry 6-iron from 211 yards — to four feet.
“I’ve got it in there,” Curry said, admitting he hasn’t played this well to start a round in a long time. “You just have to bring it out at the right time.”
Curry driver from 306 yards — to 20 feet.
Curry with pitching wedge from 143 — five feet. (Solo birdie)
Curry from 138 yards to 12 feet.
Curry from 205 yards to 20 feet.
Both players did their part on the greens, each holing a long one when they needed it.
Curry from 113 yards to six feet, and the putt for another solo birdie.
Curry out-driving DeChambeau on the 14th hole.
Curry off the tee from 320 yards — on the green to 41 feet.
Curry roasts a draw off the tee. It gets caught up in the rough … but still ends up a few yards further than DeChambeau’s driver.
“There are certain days when golf makes sense, and today is one of them,” Curry said as they drove in a cart up the 18th. When DeChambeau wedged it on, they two-putted for a finishing birdie and 49.
So, just how great was Curry’s performance?
He really did out-drive DeChambeau multiple times. Just as shocking, though is how helpful he was with his wedges, hitting a handful inside 15 feet, all while DeChambeau was struggling with his own wedge game. He had those two solo birdies on par-3s, which can be the most difficult holes for two-man scrambles to birdie. When it came to shots played from tee-to-green, Curry’s shots were used 11 times while DeChambeau’s were used 14 times. Pretty darn good for the non-professional golfer in the group.
But for those who aren’t just coming to Curry’s golf game for the first time, it’s not completely shocking. The 11-time NBA All-Star has won the annual American Century Celebrity golf event in Tahoe and has even competed twice via sponsor invite on the Korn Ferry Tour. Of course, that gets everyone thinking about a golf career for Curry when his basketball days are over. Even DeChambeau.
“You need to play professionally,” DeChambeau said in the final seconds of the episode, leaving just enough room for Curry to respond:
“Don’t you start there.”
